Senator VALLENTINE —My question is addressed to the Minister for Defence. How many naval technicians have been sent to the Gulf region to support the Royal Australian Navy forces there? I also ask whether or not these men constitute ground forces. Could the Minister describe their role and function? I further ask whether there are plans to send more technicians to join the men already there. If so, how many? Are there also any other Australian Defence Force personnel being sent in any other capacity which could be construed as ground forces? Is it true that the Minister was not consulted before the decision was made to send these naval technicians to the Gulf region? Will the Minister be consulted about further deployments? Which other naval vessels are preparing for operations in the Gulf region, either in addition to the current contingent or in replacement of it? Finally, I ask whether the Australian Government has any plans to increase the size or change the nature of the Australian deployment in the Gulf area.

Senator ROBERT RAY —We have a small number of naval personnel who have been placed in the Middle East to provide logistical support to our ships. These personnel do not constitute ground forces. There are no plans at present to send additional logistic personnel to the Middle East. There is no intention to commit Australian ground forces to the Middle East. A few Australian exchange personnel have been permitted to deploy with the United States and United Kingdom units to the Middle East for the sake of operational effectiveness of those units. There is no way that their presence could be construed as an Australian commitment of ground forces.

I was fully consulted concerning the deployment of the logistics team, and will of course be fully consulted about any other aspect of Australian deployment to the Gulf region, whenever it may arise. There is no intention to increase the number of Australian naval ships deployed in the Gulf region. Plans are being developed to replace the current task group when its rotation is completed.

The Government has decided to send a small number of medical support personnel to the Gulf region to provide for any medical contingencies for the task force personnel which may arise. The Government has no plans to increase or change the deployment to the Gulf area, other than that which I announced when answering Senator Loosley. I might add that the medical team will be serving on a hospital ship in the Gulf region.